I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 97



96 – Open Wide, Debuff Incoming

“I’ll kill youuu!!!”

If a carelessly cast fishing line hooked a heart, would it cause such a frenzy?

Ok Myungjin, spear raised high, leapt up with a monstrous cry.

‘This is no act.’

If those expressions and movements were mere performance, one would simply have to feign belief.

Rohan raised his longsword, meeting the descending spear head-on.

KA-THWANG–!!!

Magic-infused weapons screamed with the clash of metal.

Hearing the deafening roar, the Iron Turtles below emitted guttural, trembling cries.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t planning to kill me a moment ago?”

“Silence!”

“One can be rejected in life. Why jump around so much?”

“KRaaaH!!! I shall pierce your snout!!!”

Taking Rohan’s comfort as mockery, Ok Myungjin looked as though he would erupt steam from his face.

The magic contained within the spear, riding the waves of his emotions, grew increasingly violent.

PA-THWANG!

Scattered magic forces pushed violently against itself.

Ok Myungjin used the Iron Turtles underfoot as a springboard, landing back in his original position.

Rohan swiftly regained his balance, readjusting his grip on his sword.

“Rohan. I will assist you.”

Ichinose took a step forward.

But Rohan had already decided his course. Therefore, he refused without hesitation.

“It’s alright. Just wait.”

“Student Ok Myungjin is the scion of a distinguished martial lineage. He likely possesses unique skills as well.”

“That may be so.”

“…You understand that subduing him neatly is more difficult than killing him, yes? Here, a coordinated attack is the proper course.”

“Oh, you’ve already deciphered my intentions?”

“It’s because of the instructor’s words, warning us not to kill each other, correct? I can sense the intent at least.”

Undoubtedly, were Ichinose to intervene, the balance of power would shift in an instant, and the situation would be resolved.

Even so.

Rohan urged Ichinose to remain still.

“Just this once, I’ll act as I please.”

“…”

Whether Ichinose had ever experienced it, human relationships, at times, are no different than wild beasts.

There are moments when the hierarchy is decided purely by brute strength.

Those who make a living through martial prowess cannot miss that fleeting chance.

‘Even if I win, it’s likely to become a nuisance, but if I don’t establish dominance from the start… this guy will be a real pain in the neck.’

He was sick of seeing types like Ok Myeongjin.

He understood him completely. Because of that, he could roughly see the future.

Whether considering life at the academy after the practical exam,

or if they were to face each other again on a deserted island.

To gain an advantage over this kind of guy, he needed to definitively establish who was above whom now, even grab the leash.

“In exchange, I’ll make it up to you somehow. How about it?”

“…I don’t need conditions like making it up to me. Just don’t get hurt.”

Lohan lifted the corner of his mouth and gazed straight ahead.

Perhaps they had heard Lohan and Ichinose’s conversation on the other side, a contrasting atmosphere hung in the air.

“Hey. Interfere and you’re dead.”

“Ah… got it!”

Ok Myeongjin also declared that he would resolve this alone, without his partner’s help.

He even threw off his jacket and gripped the spear with the ferocity to crush it.

“Hooo…”

A visage of trying, by any means, to contain the explosively discharging anger.

Even so, the way he looked at Lohan remained unchanged. A savage gaze that threatened to chew him down to the bones.

Lohan lightly hopped down from his position to the habitat of the Iron Turtles.

Ok Myeongjin also shouldered his spear and landed.

─ Gueeeeek!

Lohan and Ok Myeongjin climbed onto the shell of the Iron Turtle that was sticking out its head and lumbering towards them.

Stepping on the sharp shell like stepping stones, they moved closer to each other with large strides.

Lohan wore a smile to provoke Ok Myeongjin’s temper.

But his eyes remained fixed on the spear, his mind working without rest.

‘I can’t let my guard down.’

Even with a temper like that, he was still the son of a wealthy family from the Samhwa nation.

Even that first strike hinted at professional combat training.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Ok Myeong-jin’s spear spun fiercely around his body.

Just as Ichinose said, more a centrifugal force-driven swing than a stab.

‘His first attack wasn’t a thrust, but a downward chop.’

From noble mtl dot com

If Ok Myeong-jin wielded his own weapon, not just a standard issue…

Would he have chosen something like a glaive, or a naginata perhaps?

“Kaaagh!!!”

The shaft of the spear, imbued with a battle cry, whistled through the air.

Rohan, swaying atop the Iron Turtle, swung his sword like a baseball bat.

───Clang! The flat of the blade deflected the spear.

Ok Myeong-jin accepted the repelling force, pivoting with it.

He continued the brutal assault against Rohan.

Clang! Clang! Kang!

He had to also be aware of the randomly moving platform they stood upon.

Rohan used the broad face of his sword to deflect the spear, carefully observing its trajectory and movements.

After about a dozen exchanges…

A thread of understanding emerged.

‘The spearmanship itself is systematic and excellent. The only problem… the wielder is not yet fully seasoned.’

Was it the fact that he hadn’t overwhelmed Rohan at the outset, contrary to expectations?

With each parry, the impatience etched onto Ok Myeong-jin’s spear tip and face became more palpable.

Ting!

The spear shaft was blocked with unprecedented precision. As if the move had been anticipated, foreseen.

Both Rohan and Ok Myeong-jin distinctly felt the contrasting sensations through their hands.

“Didn’t get enough to eat yesterday? Your spear’s a little… listless, wouldn’t you say?”

“A fool barely managing to block…! All talk!”

A vein pulsed on Ok Myeong-jin’s forehead.

Rohan chuckled, amused by the transparent display of emotion.

‘An honest b*stard.’

Ok Myeong-jin kicked off the Iron Turtle, hopping back to create some distance, and then dropped to the ground.

A distance unachievable without throwing a spear.

Yet, Ok Myeongjin uses magic. He shrouds his entire body with movements unlike before.

‘A skill?’

Highly probable that it is.

Should I close the distance here, or observe? Pros and cons exist in either decision.

Rohan tensed his thighs, ready to spring, and focused on his opponent.

“Uwooo!!!”

An unusually loud shout.

Ok Myeongjin’s body swelled, beginning to don oriental armor reminiscent of historical dramas.

Even the spear he wielded was affected by the skill, becoming a translucent glaive.

‘He said he was the grandson of some general or other.’

Seeing such a skill, bloodline must be bloodline.

Rohan decided to close the distance and kicked off from his shell.

Ok Myeongjin, evolved into a towering giant over 2 meters tall, raised his spear high.

Judging by the way he freely opened his waist and lower body, he must have confidence in his durability.

“Kuhahaha!!! Die!!!”

“Madman. I told you not to kill each other, students.”

The spear descended like a guillotine.

Rohan gripped his sword with both hands. The blade glowed crimson, burning hot.

Heat warped the air as he swung.

[One Sword – Flame Sever]

The instant Rohan’s longsword met the spear.

Ok Myeongjin’s spear, capable of crushing a person with ease, spiraled into the sky.

“!!!”

A bewildered expression was clear between the gaps in his helmet.

Rohan seized the opportunity and surged toward the now empty-handed Ok Myeongjin, unleashing his magic.

‘Weakness Imbue.’

[Physical weakness imparted to target.]

“Wh-what did you do!”

Startled by the strange sensation, he used his armored body as a weapon.

His fists were as large as pot lids, but besides his skill with the spear, he was a dunce; not at all threatening.

“Your molars are gonna shatter. Clench tight now.”

He laid his sword flat and struck the helmet atop the man’s head.

*Dee-ing!*

A splendid vibration, akin to the ringing of a bell.

“Ghk!”

Just before losing consciousness, Ok Myungjin’s pupils began to dilate.

His legs even trembled.

[Debuff Applied to Target.]

“!”

An alert he’d never seen before. But the question and surprise were fleeting.

‘That’s it!’

A function born from transcendence.

He was sure of it. A good opportunity.

[When attacking a target with a Weakness, you have a low chance of applying a debuff. The debuff shares the Weakness application level.]

Within Rohan’s mind, a variety of debuffs surfaced like choices.

He chose one that seemed perfect.

‘Blindness.’

The effect was immediate.

“My, my eyes…!?”

So shocked that his fading consciousness snapped back.

Ok Myungjin fumbled at his face, his voice filled with terror.

Rohan couldn’t suppress the laughter bubbling up at the obvious effect.

“What are you doing, spacing out during a fight?”

Rohan reversed his sword and stabbed Ok Myungjin in the abdomen with the pommel.

The attack pierced the hard armor and landed a perfectly effective blow.

“Kaugh─!”

His legs gave way, the large man clutching his stomach as he knelt.

“…”

If he swung his sword here, he could cleanly sever the neck.

However, he doesn’t.

Rohan plants the sword he was holding into the ground without a second thought, securing it.

He doesn’t want to upset Juyeon.

“Did that sting a bit?”

He clenches his empty hand, forming a solid fist, and cleaves the air.

Turning Ok Myeongjin’s jaw with a crisp strike.

“Gheh!”

Amidst a blurring consciousness from the heavy impact.

Ok Myeongjin felt his vision returning, liberated from genuine terror.

And he looks ahead. Forced to look.

The giant collapses, capturing the beautiful girl standing above him in his eyes.

“I, Ichinose-nim…!”

Ok Myeongjin squeezed out the last of his strength, vocalizing amidst his fading awareness.

But Ichinose’s gaze did not stray even an iota.

Ichinose’s eyes, unusually open for an extended period.

Were fixed solely on Rohan, filled with an emotion akin to surprise.